Colorado Chicken Tacos

Ancho and New Mexican dried chilis create a delicious Colorado Sauce that's served up taco style with chipotle infused refried beans and grilled chicken.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 New Mexican dried chiles
• 3 Ancho dried chiles
• 1/2 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 cups stock
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano ((use Mexican oregano if you have it))
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
• sliver of dark chocolate
• Monterey Jack cheese
• 8-10 corn tortillas
• Cotija cheese ((optional))
• Crema ((optional))
• 1 chicken breast
• salt
• pepper
• chili powder
• oil
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 can whole pinto beans
• 1/2 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 chipotles in adobo
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup stock (or water)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1De-seed and de-stem the dried chiles. Wipe off any dusty crevasses.
2. 2Add the chiles to a bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let reconstitute for 15-30 minutes. You can cover them with a small bowl or plate to keep them submerged.
3. 3Saute 1/2 an onion and 3 garlic cloves in a dollop of oil over medium heat. Cook until just starting to brown, approximately 5-8 minutes.
4. 4Drain the chilis and add to the onion mixture along with 3 cups of stock, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground pepper.
5. 5Let cook for a couple minutes or until everything is at a uniform temp.
6. 6Add to a blender and combine well.
7. 7Take a taste. If it tastes bitter you know you'll want to sweeten it up a bit.
8. 8Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve, pushing it through with a spoon or spatula. Discard leftover solid remnants.
9. 9Add strained sauce back to the saucepan. Add 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce and a sliver of dark chocolate to balance the earthiness of the sauce.
10. 10Let cook over mediumish heat until the sauce clings to a spatula, approximately 15-30 minutes.
11. 11If you are making refried beans, start by sauteing 1/2 an onion and 2 garlic cloves in a dollop of oil for a few minutes.
12. 12Drain and rinse a can of pinto beans and add to the onion mixture along with 2 chipotles in adobo, 1/2 cup stock (or water), 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground pepper.
13. 13Bring this bean mixture to a uniform temp and then add to a blender and combine well.
14. 14Return bean mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until you have a thicker consistency, approximately 5-10 minutes.
15. 15Cut a single chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Add to a bowl and mix with a dollop of oil, salt, pepper and chili powder. (Exact seasoning isn't important for this chicken so I eyeball it and add a generous pinch of each.)
16. 16Saute 2-3 Tablespoons of chopped onion in a dollop of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and form a single layer. Once the first side is mostly cooked through flip and cook the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes or until it's done. Set aside in a bowl until needed.
17. 17Heat a comal or skillet to medium-high temperature.
18. 18Each tortilla gets a thin layer of beans and plenty of cheese. I usually cook them three at a time on the comal.
19. 19Cook until the cheese is melted or until the underside of the tortilla is getting crunchy and forming brown spots.
20. 20Serve immediately and top with chicken, Colorado Sauce, and your choice of garnishes.